Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the letter of 24 January 2022 from Lord Pickles on behalf of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, what steps he plans to take to enforce effectively the Business Appointment Rules.

The Cabinet Office is leading the programme of work to improve the Business Appointment Rules in collaboration with the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments. The Cabinet Office aims to improve: the scope and clarity of the Rules, the consistency and proportionality of their implementation across government, and enforcement of the Rules.

The Government is currently reviewing Lord Pickles’ letter of 24 January, including its points on the need for differentiation between the Business Appointment Rules and rules administered by other bodies such as the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists or the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.

I note that in his correspondence, Lord Pickles advises: “The Committee’s advice letters will now make explicit reference to a former minister’s responsibility to understand any other rules and regulations they are subject to in parallel with the Committee’s advice.”